U.S. Golfers Advance to Cup Final

The American team won four of six matches Friday, got the help it needed from Bernhard Langer and advanced to the final against Europe in the Nissan Cup World Championship of Golf.

“We got lucky,” U.S. team captain Raymond Floyd said.

The Americans won 18 points in their match against Japan, including 10 bonus points. That gave them 38 for three rounds of round-robin competition.

Then the entire team--Floyd, Lanny Wadkins, Calvin Peete, Mark O’Meara, Corey Pavin and Curtis Strange--gathered by the 18th green to watch the finish of the Europe-Australia match. In order for the United States to reach the final, the Europeans needed to win 5 points from Australia.

They won 11. But it went down to the final match, between European captain Langer and Australian David Graham. Until Langer won, 65-67--despite Graham making an eagle-3 on the final hole--the Australians had retained a chance of gaining the final.

After three rounds, Europe led with 50 points; the United States had 38, Australia 32 and Japan 12.